Computer animation has been limited almost exclusively to 2D and 3D. The tools for 3D computer animation have been largely in place for decades and are well-understood. Existing tools for visualizing 4D geometry include minimal animation features. Few tools have been designed specifically for animation of higher-dimensional objects, phenomena, or spaces. None have been designed to be familiar to 3D animators. A general-purpose 4D animation system can be expected to facilitate more widespread understanding of 4D geometry and space, can become the basis for creating unique 3D visual effects, and may offer new insight into 3D animation concepts. We have developed a software package that facilitates general-purpose animation in four spatial dimensions. Standard features from popular 3D animation software have been included and adapted, where appropriate. Many adaptations are trivial; some have required novel solutions. Several features that are possible only in four or more dimensions have been included. The graphical user interface has been designed to be familiar to experienced 3D animators. Keyframe animation is provided by using a set of curves that defines movement in each dimension or rotation plane. An interactive viewport offers multiple visualization methods including slicing and projection. The viewport allows for both manipulation of 4D objects and navigation through virtual 4D space.

<p>By using existing knowledge from the game community, which have had a long experience from game artificial intelligence, and new research</p><p>from the field of artificial intelligence I have implemented REACT, a crowd simulation system for visual effects. REACT is based on high-level behaviour that uses an underlying layer of low-level behaviour. The high-level capabilities gives the digital character means to reasoning about how to achieve certain goals based on a knowledge base of rules and facts that are present in the virtual world. This gives the digital character a degree of autonomous intelligent behaviour.</p><p>REACT is designed to integrate directly into the 3D animation package Maya as a plug-in. This means that the animators can continue to animate their characters via their animation package of choice, rather than having to learn a new technology. In addition, many animators are already familiar with the workflow of Maya, so learning curves are reduced.</p><p>REACT is already in use in the visual effects industry where it has proven itself to be a worthy competitor to the existing systems on the market.</p>

A speech controlled animation system is both a useful application program as well as a laboratory in which to investigate context aware applications as well as controlling errors. The user need not have prior knowledge or experience in animation and is yet able to create interesting and meaningful animation naturally and fluently. The system can be used in a number of applications ranging from PowerPoint presentations to simulations to children’s storytelling tools. / Singapore-MIT Alliance (SMA)

By using existing knowledge from the game community, which have had a long experience from game artificial intelligence, and new research from the field of artificial intelligence I have implemented REACT, a crowd simulation system for visual effects. REACT is based on high-level behaviour that uses an underlying layer of low-level behaviour. The high-level capabilities gives the digital character means to reasoning about how to achieve certain goals based on a knowledge base of rules and facts that are present in the virtual world. This gives the digital character a degree of autonomous intelligent behaviour. REACT is designed to integrate directly into the 3D animation package Maya as a plug-in. This means that the animators can continue to animate their characters via their animation package of choice, rather than having to learn a new technology. In addition, many animators are already familiar with the workflow of Maya, so learning curves are reduced. REACT is already in use in the visual effects industry where it has proven itself to be a worthy competitor to the existing systems on the market.

Thesis (MSc)--University of Stellenbosch, 2005. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Sign Language is a fully-fledged natural language possessing its own syntax and grammar; a fact which implies that the problem of machine translation from a spoken source language to Sign Language is at least as difficult as machine translation between two spoken languages. Sign Language, however, is communicated in a modality fundamentally different from all spoken languages. Machine translation to Sign Language is therefore burdened not only by a mapping from one syntax and grammar to another, but also, by a non-trivial transformation from one communicational modality to another. With regards to the computer visualization of Sign Language; what is required is a three dimensional, temporally accurate, visualization of signs including both the manual and nonmanual components which can be viewed from arbitrary perspectives making accurate understanding and imitation more feasible. Moreover, given that facial expressions and movements represent a fundamental basis for the majority of non-manual signs, any system concerned with the accurate visualization of Sign Language must rely heavily on a facial animation component capable of representing a well-defined set of emotional expressions as well as a set of arbitrary facial movements. This thesis investigates the development of such a computer facial animation system. We address the problem of delivering coordinated, temporally constrained, facial animation sequences in an online environment using VRML. Furthermore, we investigate the animation, using a muscle model process, of arbitrary three-dimensional facial models consisting of multiple aligned NURBS surfaces of varying refinement. Our results showed that this approach is capable of representing and manipulating high fidelity three-dimensional facial models in such a manner that localized distortions of the models result in the recognizable and realistic display of human facial expressions and that these facial expressions can be displayed in a coordinated, synchronous manner. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Gebaretaal is 'n volwaardige natuurlike taal wat oor sy eie sintaks en grammatika beskik. Hierdie feit impliseer dat die probleem rakende masjienvertaling vanuit 'n gesproke taal na Gebaretaal net so moeilik is as masjienvertaling tussen twee gesproke tale. Gebaretaal word egter in 'n modaliteit gekommunikeer wat in wese van alle gesproke tale verskil. Masjienvertaling in Gebaretaal word daarom nie net belas deur 'n afbeelding van een sintaks en grammatika op 'n ander nie, maar ook deur beduidende omvorming van een kommunikasiemodaliteit na 'n ander. Wat die gerekenariseerde visualisering van Gebaretaal betref, vereis dit 'n driedimensionele, tyds-akkurate visualisering van gebare, insluitend komponente wat met en sonder die gebruik van die hande uitgevoer word, en wat vanuit arbitrêre perspektiewe beskou kan word ten einde die uitvoerbaarheid van akkurate begrip en nabootsing te verhoog. Aangesien gesigsuitdrukkings en -bewegings die fundamentele grondslag van die meeste gebare wat nie met die hand gemaak word nie, verteenwoordig, moet enige stelsel wat te make het met die akkurate visualisering van Gebaretaal boonop sterk steun op 'n gesigsanimasiekomponent wat daartoe in staat is om 'n goed gedefinieerde stel emosionele uitdrukkings sowel as 'n stel arbitrre gesigbewegings voor te stel. Hierdie tesis ondersoek die ontwikkeling van so 'n gerekenariseerde gesigsanimasiestelsel. Die probleem rakende die lewering van gekordineerde, tydsbegrensde gesigsanimasiesekwensies in 'n intydse omgewing, wat gebruik maak van VRML, word aangeroer. Voorts word ondersoek ingestel na die animasie (hier word van 'n spiermodelproses gebruik gemaak) van arbitrre driedimensionele gesigsmodelle bestaande uit veelvoudige, opgestelde NURBS-oppervlakke waarvan die verfyning wissel. Die resultate toon dat hierdie benadering daartoe in staat is om hoë kwaliteit driedimensionele gesigsmodelle só voor te stel en te manipuleer dat gelokaliseerde vervormings van die modelle die herkenbare en realistiese tentoonstelling van menslike gesigsuitdrukkings tot gevolg het en dat hierdie gesigsuitdrukkings op 'n gekordineerde, sinchroniese wyse uitgebeeld kan word.